Circuit timing and control device



July 28, 1942. P. T. GILBERT ETAL CIRCUIT ,TIMING AND CONTROL DEVICE Filed Dec. 17, 1940 'Za ff Patented July 28, 1942 UNITED zarter STATES PATENT GFFICE CIRCUIT TIMING AND CONTROL DEVICE kowitz Application December 17, 1940, Serial No. 370,450

9 Claims.

This invention relates to delayed or time-control circuit opening devices generally, and has particular adaptation to lighting systems, such as those of automotive vehicles. With the device applied to an automobile, the operator will have sufficient illumination for an interval of time after he puts the car in the garage so that he may lock the garage and have the path to his house illuminated while he Walks from the garage, after he has turned off his car lights by opening the light switch on the dash board.

The device may of course be also applied to any other electrical apparatus or means where it is advantageous to delay the opening of the circuit for an interval of time after the switch has been turned into the off position.

A further and particular object is the provision of such a device in practically the simplest possible form, so that the cost of manufacture as well as the mode of operation and labor of installation are all reduced to a minimum.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the description below, in which characters of reference refer to similarly-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof and which serves primarily to illustrate the invention without necessarily limiting it to the specic details of construction shown.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of the device secured to a panel, the latter being shown fragmentarily.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a plan View, similar to Figure 1, of a modified form of the device.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 'I-'I of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view oi the plunger per se of the modified form.

Figure 10 is a wiring diagram.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I9 indicates a panel or wall having an opening therethrough; if the device is applied to an automobile, the panel III could be the front panel of the dashboard. rIhe device comprises a cylindrical housing I I closed at the rear end I2 and closed by a plug I3 at the forward end, the 55 plug being secured in place by any desired means, such as soldering or screws, not shown. A portion of the housing is cut away at the top to provide an opening Ila therethrough. An axial opening is provided through the plug I3, through which a sleeve I4 passes into the housing II. The front end I5 oi the sleeve Ill is threaded and protrudes partly through the panel III to which the device is thus secured by the nuts I9 and II in an obvious manner. A flange IS is provided on the inner end of the sleeve Ill, and one or more gaskets 29 are clamped against this flange by a washer I9 screwed thereto. Thus, the washer I9, the gaskets 20, and the flange I9 provide a sealing plug intermediate the housing II. The latter plug has an axial opening therethrough, in alignment with the opening through the sleeve I4. A hollow piston rod 2I passes slidably through the sleeve I4, having its forward end protruding from the panel nut Il and terminating at a point near the rear end of the housing I I. The rear end 22 of the piston rod 2l is threaded and has a piston head 23 screwed thereon, the latter being provided in its cylindrical side with a peripheral groove in which a circular coiled expansion spring 24 is set. A cupped leather washer is locked against the piston 23 by a nut 26, and the side peripheral wall of the washer 25 embraces the spring 2li; thus, the spring 2t, which is under radial tension and tends to expand normally, keeps the peripheral wall of the washer 25 in close contact, and under pressure, against the wall of the housing II. The chamber within the housing II between the closed rear end I2 thereof and the washer I9, is indicated by the numeral 2l, and is lled with any suitable fluid, such as oil. A coiled spring 28 surrounds the piston 2| between the said two ends of the compartment 2l and normally urges the piston head 23 to the rear end of the housing I I, as shown in Figure 2. A conical axial opening 29 passes through the piston head 23 and communicates with an axial cup-like recess 39 provided in the rear end of the piston rod 2 I. A groove 3l is cut into the wall of the piston 2| and extends from a point just to the right (Figure 2") of the nut 26 into the recess 3U, and serves as a by-pass.

Near its forward end the piston rod 2I is provided with a rounded peripheral groove 32, in the position shown. A cylindrical block 33 of insulation, which may be Bakelite, lls the space between the sleeve I4 and the housing II and between the flange I9 and the plug I3, being retained rigidly in place in any suitable manner. Vertically aligned openings 34 and 35 pass through the block 33 and sleeve I4, respectively, from the top of the device, and when the piston is in its normal or inactive position as shown in Figure 2, the openings 34-35 are also in vertical alignment with the groove 32. A pair of balls 36, such as steel ball bearings, are placed in the aligned openings 34-35, the lower ball normally resting in the groove 32. It is apparent that when the piston rod 2| is drawn forward, the lower ball will be forced upward out of the groove 32 to ride on the outer surface of the piston, and consequently the upper ball will also be raised from its normal position at which its uppermost point is substantially flush with the housing surface II.

A block 31 of insulation is provided in a recess at the top of the plug I3, and a spring finger 38 is anchored thereon; the latter extends rearward and has its rearward end extending beyond the balls 36 to terminate under a contact screw 39 supported in a bracket 46 anchored to the insulation block 33. The finger 38 is tensioned to normally force its free end downward, away from contact with the screw 39. A lead wire 4I is secured to the underside of the free end of the finger 4|, by soldering or the like. A second lead Wire 42 is secured to the bracket 40.

An elongated pin or rod 43, having a knurled handle 44 on its forward end, extends all the way through the hollow piston rod 2| and protrudes at its rear end into the recess 36, at which end the pin 43 is provided with an enlarged tapering head 45. Internal threads 46 are provided at the forward end of the piston rod 2| which are engaged by similarly-located external threads 41 on the pin 43. It is apparent that turning of the knurled handle 44 will advance or retard the pin head 45 in the opening 29 of the piston head 23. A knob 48 is secured by a set screw or other means on the forward end of the piston rod 2|, and is of course provided with an axial opening therethrough, through which the forward end of the pin 43 loosely passes.

The mechanical operation of the device so far described may now be set forth. Assuming that the parts are in the normal or inactive position shown in Figure 2, when the knob 48 is pulled out away from the panel I0, the pressure of the oil in the chamber 21 thus created forces the peripheral wall of the washer against the spring 24 and permits relatively rapid flow of the oil to the left-hand side of the piston head. Simultaneously, the balls 36 are raised as beforementioned, and the upper ball raises the finger 38 into contact with the screw 39, closing the circuit through the leads 4I-42. When the knob 48 is released, the spring 28 will urge the piston head 23 to return to its rearmost position, but upon movement in that direction the washer 25 will act as a seal to prevent rapid passage of the oil from the left to the right of the piston head. The only free passage for the oil in the latter direction is thus provided by the by-pass 3|, whence the said passage of the oil is at a greatly reduced speed. Thus, the return of the piston head to normal position is very slow. The speed of return, however, may be closely regulated by the handle 44 of the pin 43. Turning this handle to withdraw the head 45 from the opening or seat 29 will permit of a more rapid flow of oil through the by-pass 3|, and conversely, turning the handle in the opposite direction will cause a slower passage therethrough. When the piston head has finally returned to its normal position, the lower ball 36 will again fall into the groove 32 and the finger 38 will be released from its contact with the screw 39, thus opening the circuit. A bayonet slot 6| in the rear of the washer I9, and a pin 62 near the rear end of the piston rod 2|, are adapted to cooperate to lock the latter in the completely pulledout position, when desired.

When applied to an automobile, the wiring diagram is indicated in Figure 10, which is believed to be self-explanatory. The headlights are indicated at 58, and an auxiliary switch at 5|, which may be used when it is desired to turn off the lights immediately without utilizing the delayed action, as would be the case when parking the car at the curb at night. A spot light, not shown, could also be included.

In the modified form shown in Figures 5, '1, 8, and 9 those parts which `are identical to the form just described are similarly numbered, for the sake of simplicity. Herein the housing IIb has a smaller Cut-out opening I lc at the top, between the plug I 3b and the flange I8 of the sleeve I4b. Because the necessary length of this opening is considerably reduced in the modified form, the overall length of the housing IIb is likewise reduced. A sleeve 52 of insulation, such as Bakelite, is mounted within the housing under the opening IIc between the flange I8 and the plug I3b, and secured therein in any desired manner. A pedestal 53, formed integral with the sleeve 52 or secured thereon in any desired manner, extends diametrically toward the center of the sleeve 52. One end of an arched spring 54 is anchored on the pedestal 53 and on its other end has a rounded contact boss 55, insulated therefrom. Three peripherally aligned and spaced apart contact buttons 56, 51, and 59 are secured against the inner wall of the sleeve 52 adjacent the free end of the spring 54.

The sleeve I4b has a hollow boss 59, provided with the cylindrical recess or opening 60 thereinto, the said boss being longitudinally positioned adjacent the spring 54. A pair of balls 36h lie in the recess 60. The rod has the same groove 32 therein, which, when the rod is in the normal inactive position, lies in axial alignment with the recess 60 and the lower ball 36h lies in the groove 22; the recess 63, of course, extends through the base of the boss 59 to communicate with the longitudinal channel through the rod 2| occupied by the pin 43.

The modified form is substantially the same as the form first described, the only difference being in the electrical switch and the boss 59, the latter being necessary to provide a cup for the balls 36h.

The positions of the various parts of the circuit-operating means, shown in Figure 7. are the normally inactive positions. Therein the spring 54, which is normally urged by its tension in clockwise direction, bends around, and is in contact with, the upper ball 36D, with its Contact boss 55 resiliently pressed against the buttons 51 `and 58. The latter is simply a dead stop button, having n0 connection with the electrical circuit; the buttons 56 and 51, however, form the opposite poles of the electrical switching means and are connected to the circuit by the leads 4I and 42. Assuming, then, that the knob 48 is in fully retracted position, in which the device is inoperative, the circuit is open as shown in Figure 7. As soon as the knob 48 is pulled forward, however, the groove 32 passes from under the balls 36h and, as before, they are pushed radially outward, and in doing so the upper ball pushes the spring 54 in a counter-clockwise direction a sufficient distance to move the boss 55 from its normal position to a position between and in contact with the buttons 56 and 5l, thus closing the circuit. When the rod 2l is restored to its inactive position by the spring 28, the balls again fall into the groove 32 and the force of the spring 54 pushes the boss 55 back to its open-circuit position shown. The provision of the idle button 58 limits the clockwise movement of the boss 55, and by the nature of the boss 55 and the buttons 55, 5l, and 58 a positive releasable engagement is provided in both the openand closed-circuit positions.

Obviously, modications in form and structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

l. A device of the class described comprising a cylindrical housing sealed at the rear end and having a wall intermediate its length, an oil chamber being provided 4between said sealed end and said wall, said wall having an axial opening therethrough, a piston rod passing through said opening and having a piston head in said chamber, said rod having a peripheral groove therein, a spring normally urging said piston toward said rear end of the housing, a sleeve rigid with said wall `and extending forward within the housing, a sleeve of insulating material surrounding said first sleeve, said housing having a cut-out in the top thereof above said insulating sleeve, said sleeves having vertically aligned openings through the upper walls thereof, said openings and said groove being vertically aligned when said piston is in its normally inactive position adjacent said rear end of the housing, balls loosely mounted one above the other in said openings, the lowest of said balls normally resting in said groove, the uppermost of said balls normally lying flush with the housing surface, a contact spring nger secured to said insulating sleeve and extending past said uppermost ball and normally urged toward said uppermost ball, a fixed contact mounted on said insulating sleeve above said nger, said balls being raised out of said groove upon forward movement of said rod to cause said uppermost ball to push said finger against said contact, said finger and contact forming the two poles of an electrical switch, valve means associated with said piston to permit rapid passage of the oil past the same when the same moves forward and to prevent passage when said piston head moves rearward.

2. A device of the class described comprising a cylindrical housing sealed at the rear end and having a wall intermediate its length, an oil chamber being provided between said sealed end and said wall, said wall having an axial opening therethrough, a piston rod passing through said opening and having a piston head in said chamber, said rod having a peripheral groove therein, a spring normally urging said piston toward said rear end of the housing, a sleeve rigid with said wall and extending forward within the housing, a sleeve of insulating material surrounding said first sleeve, said housing having a cut-out in the top thereof above said insulating sleeve, said sleeves having vertically aligned openings through the upper walls thereof, said openings and said groove being vertically aligned when said piston is in its normally inactive position adjacent said rear end of the housing, balls loosely mounted one above the other in said openings, the lowest of said balls normally resting in said groove, the

CII

uppermost of said balls normally lying ush with the housing surface, a contact spring nger secured to said insulating sleeve and extending past said uppermost ball and normally urged toward said uppermost ball, a xed contact mounted on said insulating sleeve above said finger, said balls being raised out of said groove upon forward movement of said rod to cause said uppermost ball to push said nger against said contact, said finger and contact forming the two poles of an electrical switch, valve means associated with said piston to permit rapid passage of the oil past the same when the same moves forward and to prevent passage when said piston head moves rearward, and locking means partly on said wall and partly on said rod for releasably locking said rod in fully pulled-out position.

3. In a housing having an oil chamber provided with a piston slidable in said chamber, valve means associated with said piston, the piston rod of said piston extending through one wall of said chamber and having a groove therein, a sleeve surrounding said piston rod and having an o-pening therethrough, a spring normally urging said piston to the rear of said chamber, said opening being in alignment with said groove when said piston lies in said normal position, one or more balls mounted loosely one above the other in said opening with the innermost thereof resting in said groove, said piston being adapted to be pulled forward to cause said balls to be pushed radially outward and remain in the latter position as soon as said groove passes out of said alignment with said opening, an electrical switch on said housing having the movable contact thereof positioned radially adjacent the outermost of said balls and normally urged toward the same, the fixed contact of said switch being positioned radially adjacent said movable contact on the other side of the latter, said outermost ball in said moved position of said piston pushing said movable contact against said fixed contact, said valve means permitting rapid movement of said piston in a forward direction, said piston being slowly retractable by said spring in la rearward direction.

4. In a housing having an oil chamber provided with a piston slidable in said chamber, valve means associated with said piston, the piston rod of said piston extending through one wall of said chamber and having a groove therein, a sleeve surrounding said piston rod and having an opening therethrough, a spring normally urging said piston to the rear of said chamber, said opening being in alignment with said groove when said piston lies in said normal position, one or more balls mounted loosely one above the other in said opening with the innermost thereof resting in said groove, said piston being adapted to be pulled forward to cause said balls to be pushed radially outward and remain in the latter position as soon as said groove passes out of said alignment with said opening, an electrical switch on said housing having the movable contact thereof positioned radially adjacent the outermost of said balls and normally urged toward the same, the xed contact of said switch being positioned radially adjacent said movable contact on the other side of the latter, said outermost ball in said moved position of said piston pushing said movable contact against said xed contact, said valve means permitting rapid movement of said piston in a forward direction, said piston being slowly retractable by said spring in a rearward direction, and means for releasably locking said piston in fully pulled-out position.

5. In a housing having an oil chamber provided with a piston slidable in said chamber, valve means associated with said piston, the piston rod of said piston extending through one wall of said chamber and having a groove therein, a sleeve surrounding said piston rod and having an opening therethrough, a spring normally urging said piston to the rear of said chamber, said opening being in alignment with said groove when said piston lies in said normal position, one or more balls mounted loosely one above the other in said opening with the innermost thereof resting in said groove, said piston being adapted to be pulled forward to cause said balls to be pushed radially outward and remain in the latter position as soon as said groove passes out of said alignment with said opening, an electrical switch on said housing having the movable contact thereof positioned radially adjacent the outermost of said balls and normally urged toward the same, the xed contact of said switch being positioned radially adjacent said movable contact on the other side of the latter, said outermost ball in said moved position of said piston pushing said movable contact against said fixed contact, said valve means permitting rapid movement of said piston in a forward direction, said piston being slowly retractable by said spring in a rearward direction, and means partly on said piston and partly on said wall of said chamber for releasably locking said piston in fully pulledout position.

6. In a housing having a fluid chamber provided with a piston slidable in said chamber, valve means associated with said piston, the piston rod of said piston extending through one wall of said chamber and having ball-receiving means thereon having one or more balls mounted loosely therein, circuit-opening and -closing means adjacent said balls, means cooperating with said ball receiving means for closing said circuit means upon movement of said rod in one direction and for opening said circuit means upon movement of said rod in the opposite direction, and uid means for delaying said last-named movement of said piston.

7. In a housing having a, wall provided with an opening therethrough, a rod anchored in said housing and extending slidably through said opening, said rod having ball-receiving means thereon having one or more balls mounted loosely therein, circuit-opening and closing means adjacent said balls, means cooperating with said ball receiving means for closing said circuit means upon movement of said rod in one direction and for opening said circuit means upon movement of said rod in the opposite direction.

8. In a housing having an oil chamber provided with a piston slidable in said chamber, valve means associated with said piston, the piston rod of said piston extending through one wall of said chamber and having ball-receiving means thereon having one or more balls mounted loosely therein, circuit-opening and -closing means adjacent said balls, means cooperating with said ball receiving means for closing said circuit means upon movement of said rod in one direction and for opening said circuit means upon movement of said rod in the opposite direction, and hydraulic means for delaying said lastnamed movement of said piston, said circuit opening and closing means comprising an arched spring anchored in the housing and extending around and being in contact With the outermost of said balls, a contact boss on the free end of said spring, a pair of spaced contact buttons on the inner Wall of the housing, said spring normally maintaining said boss adjacent the outside of one of said buttons, said outermost ball upon said movement of said rod in said one direction pushing said spring against the tension thereof to cause said spring to move said boss from said normal position to a position between and in contact with said buttons.

9. In a housing having a chamber provided with a piston slidable in said chamber, valve means associated with said piston, the piston rod of said piston extending through one wall of said chamber and having ball-receiving means thereon having one or more balls mounted loosely therein, means cooperating with said ball receiving means for moving said balls radially outward from said receiving means upon movement of said rod in one direction and for restoring said balls into said receiving means upon movement of said rod in the opposite direction, and hydraulic means for delaying said movement of said piston in one of said directions.

PERCY THOMAS GILBERT. LOUIS MOSKOWITZ. 

